Biologique Recherche Lotion P50V

I mentioned in this in my skincare routine, but I was suffering from random acne on my chin that I could manage but would never fully go away. I thus came across exfoliating/acid toners and decided to purchase Biologique Recherche Lotion P50V since anyone who used it raved about it.

Lotion P50V is formulated for sensitive skin as opposed to P50, which is widely used for other skin types. The other variant is P50W which is meant for mature skin. It has a watery consistency with a slight yellow tint. I use this everyday after cleansing at night, except the two days when I do a mask. I take 4-5 drops on a cotton pad and pat it all over the face.

This doesn’t sting everywhere but usually does in areas where I get have dry patches. The stinging is a bit like tiny pins poking you but it’s not worse than threading your eyebrows. Once you start using it regularly, it rarely stings. You can use this over blemishes, it doesn’t hurt. Once applied, it feel just a little bit tacky for some time. I generally wait for 2-3 minutes before applying my facial oil, eye cream etc.

Their own material suggests that it helps remove dead cells and impurities, rebalances the skin’s PH and helps strengthen the epidermis. The proof that it works is that I don’t get dry patches or recurring acne anymore. Yes I might get one or two spots a month but it’s not a constant bunch like before. I’ve also switched to more gentle cleansers this year and that’s probably helped as well.

Full disclosure, this stuff smells terrible. And it’s the kind of smell that will stay on for a few seconds after you apply it. Feet, stale cheese, stale idli, a lot of creative descriptions have been put forth. I don’t think it’s that bad, I can ignore it. I was really taken aback the first time I used it, but now after so many months, it doesn’t really bother me. If you are sensitive to smells, don’t buy it. Or try it first to see if you can deal with it.

I have the new formulated version which doesn’t contain Phenol. I’m going to go in brief about the top ingredients here. It contains a PHA (Gluconolactone) which helps retain moisture, an AHA (lactic acid) for getting rid of dead cells, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3 for brightening), BHA (salicylic acid) for taking care of acne and few other milder AHA’s like Malic Acid and Phytic Acid. It doesn’t contain denatured alcohol or problematic ingredients as such. The only (possibly) mild irritant mentioned is Thyme but it’s further down on the list so, I’m not too bothered.

I will definitely repurchase this or P50 in the future. I do want to try First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads or Pixi Glow Tonic before I do though. This is pretty expensive at Rs. 3635 (including VAT) for 150ml, but it does last you for months. I’ve currently used about 60% in 7 months and I won’t need to repurchase this till next year for sure. The packaging is very simple and classic. The little hole makes sure you don’t end up with too much product at a time. Not ideal to travel with though, I feel it might spill since there’s no stopper.

You can only get this at certain spas or websites which generally don’t ship outside their own country. I recommend checking out the BR website where they have stores and spas listed. In India, BR is distributed by JCKRC who own the Caressaa Day Spa in Juhu, Mumbai. If you’re in Mumbai, you can hop over there and buy it directly. The rest of us have to email them at jckrc@jckrc.com.

After emailing them asking if they’d ship to Pune, they did a skin consultation over the phone and recommended I use P50V instead of P50 first. I NEFTed the money and I had the product with me in a few days. Bit of a hassle to get but I don’t mind. I also recommend reading this excellent post from SkinandTonics to know more about P50 and the ingredients. It sold me on buying this.

I have had my eyes on this one since forever, but wasn’t sure how to get this in India. thanks a bunch 😀

http://www.xuvious.com/ Xuvious

Glad you found it useful! ^_^

http://www.clevergirlreviews.com/ Clever Girl Reviews

I really want to try Pixi Glow Tonic. I’ve been using PTR Unwrinkle pads and Sunday Riley Good Genes for exfoliation lately.

http://www.xuvious.com/ Xuvious

I want Good Genes in my life! Glow Tonic is on my list as well.

http://www.kissandmakeupsbeautyblog.com/ Kiss & Make-up

Meh, I can deal with a bit of icky smelliness as long as the product is effective

http://www.xuvious.com/ Xuvious

Same here, once I get used to it, my gag reflex is in control.

http://www.thebeautyinbox.com The Beauty Inbox

You just reminded me – I’ve wanted this for ages! I think I saw Caroline Hirons raving about it too. Also if it’s French and smells bad, it means it’s totally awesome!
Becca | theBeautyInbox

http://www.xuvious.com/ Xuvious

Haha, that’s a great way to put it! Seriously though, I wish it was easier to get hold of.

http://www.beautywithcharm.com Alina

As soon as you said it smells bad I was immediately put off as I have such a fussy nose. if I was really struggling with blemishes though maybe I would consider it as it sounds like it does an effective job x

Yes, I was apprehensive about P50 but knowing there’s a milder one available made the decision easier.

http://littlehenrylee.blogspot.com/ Jessica

i absolutely loved this post! ever since i first got into skincare and learned about acids p50 has been one of the most highly recommended ones but also the hardest to get. i’ve tried the pixi glow tonic and the FAB radiance pads and i really like both products, and although i’ve not tried any variation of p50 in my head p50 is meant to be a bit stronger? but i really can’t say if that’s true or not.

i’d say between the two you’ll get better value out of the glow tonic because it’s a 250ml bottle but the pads only contain 60 in a pot which means if you used one a day you’d still only get two months out of them but they’re roughly the same price. but in terms of product function i love both of them.

and i just want to say that i love how much detail you went into about the ingredients, it’s so much more helpful when people do that in their reviews rather than just saying “i like this, it smells good and the packaging is nice.” and i’m glad to hear it’s lasted you for so long – 7 months with 40% to go is great! i’ve looked into finding p50 before in australia and didn’t come up with much but i might have another look in case i can track it down.

Hey Jessica! So glad you like it. Exactly, P50 was like the elusive phantom when I was reading up on acid toning. I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied unless I tried it. I do want to try other alternatives in the future just to compare though.
Yes, P50 is meant to be the original and stronger version. P50V is for sensitive skin but has a lot of the same exfoliating ingredients.